Guess The Year: Central Park Edition

Do you know what year this photograph was taken? There's an interesting back story behind it, and we'll update this post later with all the details. Hint: the location is Central Park.

UPDATE: This photograph was taken on October 9th, 1911, and was captioned: Scene from the explosion. Reportedly a dynamite blast on that day killed four, and injured six others. From the New York Times the following day: "Four men were killed and six others injured yesterday morning when a pneumatic drill in a sixty-foot shaft that is being sunk in West Drive, Central Park, struck a stick of dynamite that was thought to have been exploded last Saturday night when the charges in ten holes at the bottom of the shaft were set off." Click through to read the full article.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on September 15, 2010 4:56 PM

Guess the Year

Comments [rss]

Angelheaded Hipster

that Times article is some good, good reporting. eight of the guys on the crew lived on 74th street, one lived on 71st and the foreman was from jersey city

i'm gonna check out that spot----"about a quarter of a mile east of Central Park West on a direct line with 66th Street"

Loki Katz

1918-19 BMT subway connection to 60th Street line.

theevilone

1914

scoboco

1881, the installation of the Obelisk aka Cleopatra's Needle?

Knarf

I'm guessing it's the Zoo... If correct that would put it in Al Smith's tenure as governor.

Rockuboff

After a quick glance I thought it might have had something to do with the 'shanty towns' that were set up during the Great Depression, but yes, it looks like subway construction. Looking at the suits, I'd say about 1931?

Luke

1910

chuzzlewit

yeah subway. 1925.

Kevin Walsh

Looks like subway construction; 1932 or 1933

www.forgotten-ny.com

wow 14th street

Only a guess as i notice the steel beams that would

support a heavy building so it would only be the

Metropolitam Museum of Art or the "castle"our central

park weather observatory the clothes suggest 1912-1915.

Guest

cool! just in time before i had to go do something.

wild guess: 1918

i was going to say 1924, but my answers always have been over-estimated so 1918 is the lowest i go.